


Stars, Hidden

by becomingdreams



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Acting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Theatre, College, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, References to Shakespeare, Showmance, Theatre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23657254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becomingdreams/pseuds/becomingdreams
Summary: "Stars, hide your firesLet not light see my black and deep desires.The eye wink at the hand, yet let that beWhich the eye fears, when it is done, to see."-Macbeth, 1.4.50-53
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron & Finn, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	Stars, Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> "Stars, hide your fires  
> Let not light see my black and deep desires.  
> The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be  
> Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see."
> 
> -Macbeth, 1.4.50-53

“Hey! There you are. Did you hear the news?”

Rey blinks herself out of a daze to look at Rose. “Sorry, no. I’ve been in the shop all morning. What’s up?”

Her friend’s face dimples, eyebrows lifting with delight. “They just announced it a little bit ago. They’ve set a date for auditions.”

Rey’s heart leaps. “Really? When is it?”

Rose presents her phone, having brought the email up for Rey to see. “End of the month. A Tuesday. Callbacks to follow that Friday. You know what that means.”

Rey scans the email, her pulse racing. Finally, auditions. “Mmm. No, what’s it mean?”

“It means we’ll have callbacks on Friday, then wait the whole weekend before they post the cast list on Monday.” Rose slides into the seat next to Rey. 

The large round table in the student union has more than enough empty seats at it - someone’s hours-old crumbs and used napkins are scrunched at one seat on the opposite side, but Rey is huddled in one chair with her script analysis homework and a paper container of mostly-eaten, somewhat cold fries.

Rey hands the phone back to Rose and smiles nervously. “That’s all right. I’m just glad I get to audition this time.”

“Hell yeah,” Rose agrees, her sweet voice taking on a fierce growl. “You’ve worked your butt off to be here, it’s time they see you for what you really are.”

Rey laughs as she slides a bookmark into the heavy tome of plays and closes the book. “Oh yeah? What’s that, then?”

“Talented!” Rose squeaks. 

“Not yet I’m not,” Rey corrects her. “But I’m ready to learn, at any rate.”

“Not that they won’t be sorry to lose you from the hang and focus team,” Rose adds, swiping one of Rey’s cold fries from the paper basket.

“Ha.” Rey grins. “I’m not cast yet, Rose. And I imagine I’ll still be working in the lighting shop, regardless.”

“Maybe,” Rose concedes. “Anyway, what do you think of the play? These fries are really cold,” she adds.

Rey slides the basket of cold fries closer to Rose. “So go heat them up in the microwave?”

“I’m not that invested,” Rose admits, eating another cold one. “The play?”

Rey considers. “Familiar Made Strange is a weird one. But really good parts. Interesting, layered, complicated emotions.”

“It can be really funny, too, if you have a cast that knows how to balance each other.”

“Are you hoping for Delia?” Rey eats a cold fry, against her better judgement.

Rose nods thoughtfully. “Delia or Sevora. Either one of those would be fun. I’m not picky. I think Poe will probably end up being Matterhorn--”

“--god, yes, he will,” Rey laughs.

“--and if I’m right about a couple of things, Ben will probably be Morpheus.”

Rey’s heart skips a little. “You think?”

Rose nods seriously. “He’s the right type. I can’t think of anyone else who would be better for it.”

Pre-casting is one of Rose Tico’s special skills, though she does not dare list it on her résumé. She’s usually pretty accurate, at least according to the theatre department’s casting pool and directors. Rey often wonders whether Rose’s clairvoyance will be as accurate in the real world after college.

_Ben Solo as the god of dreams..._

Rey can’t remember how or when she first met Ben. Their circle of friends is smaller than she expected it to be in the theatre department, and there’s a good number of people by now that she doesn’t remember meeting or being introduced to, they’ve just sort of appeared in her life like flowers in an unfamiliar garden. 

It’s her first year with the acting intensive program, but she’s a sophomore. Last year consisted of a lot of gen-ed class requirements (better to get them out of the way, right?) and working on a handful of productions in costuming and lights. 

She remembers stitching buttons onto vests and jackets for last year’s shows. She remembers seeing him in the costume shop for measurements and fittings. He glanced at her in the mirror one time during a fitting, and their eyes met. Rey had never felt a stare like that - she’d held it for a moment out of impulse, but she had been the first to look away. There was just something… something intense about him. Tall, dark, and nowhere near what anyone would call traditionally handsome, Ben is quiet and serious about pretty much everything. Rey’s never seen him smile, except onstage. 

She remembers hanging and focusing lights during cue-to-cue for tech week of last year’s Man in a Pale Blue Hat. She crouched in the catwalks above the stage, adjusting clamps as the lighting designer gave her instructions through the headset she wore. Ben had played Jack, the eponymous man of the title, and he was phenomenal: hilarious, heartfelt, charming, romantic. Watching him was like watching the story embodied - rather than a made-up character filtered through a young actor’s fumblings, it was pure and real and earnest. It was magic. It was clear from the beginning of the year that Ben would be a standout in the class. Pretty soon everyone wanted to be him… or at least be his friend.

They’ve barely exchanged words to one another a half dozen times, Rey’s sure, but it’s mostly because he’s so damn quiet outside of class or a show. Finn said one time it was like he wore a mask, only the mask was his everyday life and the real him came out onstage in whatever character he was playing. The more Rey watches Ben at work in different roles, the more she wonders if Finn is right. 

“Hello? Earth to Rey?” Rose shakes the empty paper basket in front of her face. Rey recoils, laughing to hide her embarrassment. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just… I’ve been working on this essay and my brain’s all fuzzy.” She swipes flyaway brown hair back from her forehead. She probably needs to re-assess her hair - the buns are from early this morning and she probably looks like a total squirrel right now. 

“Let’s go walk by the lake then, get you outside for a change. It’s not that cold today. Actually it’s pretty sunny. It’ll be good for you. We can talk about monologues for your audition if you want? I know you have one you’ve been working on but I found this piece the other day that’s just begging for you. Believe me. I know it seems like we have a lot of time till auditions but you don’t want to memorize something last minute, it’ll backfire. Trust me.”

“Yes, mom,” Rey jokes, smacking Rose with her backpack as she swings it over her shoulder.

“Don’t you forget it,” Rose says, wrinkling her nose in her most adorable smile.

On their way out the doors of the student union, Rey feels a prickle on the back of her neck. She glances back as she pushes on the door after Rose, and sees a handful of students walking into the common area from one of the lounges, talking animatedly. Among them is Ben Solo, enormously tall and incongruously somber-looking amongst the commonplace douchebaggery of his companions. 

He’s looking in her direction.

Her stomach flips upside-down.

Rey is positive it’s too far away for him to see her clearly through the warped glass of the entryway, but she ducks her head and presses through to the outside after Rose anyway, picking up the pace. 

“Are you coming, or what?” Rose calls from the bottom of the steps. “I’ve been talking to you for like two minutes and you’re still in the doorway.”

Rey laughs again, flushed. “I dropped something,” she lies, swallowing the sudden rush of anxiety. “I’m coming now, I swear.” 

She’s still not sure why she feels so strange when she sees him. It’s unnerving, like there’s something he knows that he’s not saying, or… 

Idiot. Rey shoves the thoughts away, attempting to clear her mind. She’s making things up in her head like she used to at home. She doesn’t know Ben Solo, and he doesn’t know her. There’s no point in imagining reasons behind his every glowering stare. It has nothing to do with her. She shouldn’t let it become a Thing when there are other things to focus on. 

Like auditions. At least that’s something that she can control, can prepare herself for. Prepare first, then get through the audition, then take it from there. She has low expectations for her first audition as an official acting major - but it still counts. Every audition counts. Every audition matters. Time to get it together and buckle down.

“So what’s this piece, Rose? Tell me about it.”


End file.
